Afghan Troops 'To Fill U.S. Breach'

Reuter reports:

The Obama administration's plan to withdraw some U.S. troops from Afghanistan is a welcome sign the country can start defending itself, President Hamid Karzai said in remarks aired on Sunday.

"The number of troops that he announced will be withdrawn this year and the rest next year is a sign that Afghanistan is taking over its own security and trying to defend its territory by its own means, so we are happy with the announcement," Karzai told CNN in an interview.

"As for the number of troops, we have no opinion on that," he added.

President Barack Obama unveiled on Wednesday a plan to remove 10,000 troops from Afghanistan this year and a total of 33,000 by the end of next summer, a pace some top military officials have said is too aggressive.